


Beneath my Wings

by whumpsie_daisy



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Buried Alive, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, FebuWhump2021, Gen, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hurt/Comfort, Impaled, Protective Obi-Wan Kenobi, Whump, child character has no relation to Obi-Wan, collapsed building, febuwhumpday4, febuwhumpday9, she also doesn’t get hurt, that’s all for our boy Obi-Wan
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29204259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whumpsie_daisy/pseuds/whumpsie_daisy
Summary: Finally, the dust settled.Obi-Wan opened his eyes to darkness. It was oppressive, closing in on all sides. He took a shuddering breath and tried frantically to remember where he was, or what had happened. Clearly something had gone wrong, wherever he was, because he was curled up in a ball, his arm wrapped protectively around a small body beneath him.A body… the child!Obi-Wan puts himself in harm’s way to protect a child from a falling building.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another day, another way to hurt my faves. Today it’s Obi-Wan’s turn. I have a feeling he’ll feature in a few of these, so watch this space if that’s up your street. If not, no worries, I’ve got plenty of other delicious whumpees lined up too.

Finally, the dust settled. 

Obi-Wan opened his eyes to darkness. It was oppressive, closing in on all sides. He took a shuddering breath and tried frantically to remember where he was, or what had happened. Clearly something had gone wrong, wherever he was, because he was curled up in a ball, his arm wrapped protectively around a small body beneath him.

A body… the child! 

It all came rushing back to him: the mission to a remote outpost to offer relief, the sudden attack from bandits, the explosion, the collapsing building. And the small child who hadn’t been able to run from it in time. He had leaped in to take the brunt of the damage, covering her small body with his own. 

Now he was aware of her, he could hear her small hiccupping sobs beneath him. “Hello there, little one,” he whispered, rubbing his thumb across her thin arm. 

The sobbing slowed to a sniffle, her breath hitching every now and then. He could feel, rather than see, her big eyes turn on him. Perhaps there was some latent force sensitivity there, because she had no issue finding his face in the dark. Her small hand curled around the front of his tunic. 

“Are you hurt at all, young one?” Obi-Wan asked gently. 

“No,” came the whispered response. 

Good. He could feel her honesty through the Force. Releasing a breath, Obi-Wan turned his attention inward. Already he could feel the flicker of pain at the edges of his awareness, so this wasn’t going to be fun, but he had to take stock of his own injuries. He worked his way down his body methodically and carefully, as Qui-Gon had taught him all those years ago. 

His head didn’t feel too bad - there were no bright points of pain, so hopefully he’d get away without concussion for once. His neck and shoulders ached, likely from bearing the brunt of the falling debris. His left shoulder was definitely damaged, hopefully it was just dislocated and easily rectified though. He would assess that further he had a full picture. His chest felt tight, possibly a few cracked ribs from the impact and - 

Blinding pain reared up suddenly, white hot and overwhelming. It seemed to bisect him, a ragged tear through his midsection that left him panting for breath. He grit his teeth against the scream that threatened to claw its way up his throat, not wanting to scare the girl further. Even so, he could feel her trembling hands in his tunic and hear her sobs begin again.

With a jolt of realisation, Obi-Wan slammed his mental shields up. Of course she would have to be particularly sensitive to telepathic connections. “I’m sorry,” he gasped out, “I didn’t mean to scare you, young one. It’s alright, you’re alright.” He wanted to pull her closer, to soothe away her fears, but even the smallest movement was now agony. Silence smothered the two of them for a moment as Obi-Wan fought to keep himself together. After a while, a tiny, persistent tug on his tunic caught his attention. 

“I’m scared,” the little girl whispered, tucking herself closer to his body. 

Obi-Wan smiled in spite of himself. “It’s alright, little one,” he whispered back, not wanting to break the fragile respite he’d found. “You’re being so brave. What’s your name?” he asked, trying to distract her from the fear that threatened to overwhelm her. 

“Nila.” 

“Hello, Nila. I’m Obi-Wan.”

Nila shifted slightly for a moment before saying. “It’s really dark.”

Obi-Wan actually laughed at that. “Yes, I suppose it is.” He thought for a moment, trying to reach out, carefully, with the Force and assess their surroundings. “I think I can fix that though. I’m going to need my arm back for a minute, though.” Slowly, he released Nila, gently pulling his arm away from her tiny frame. The hands in his tunic clung on tighter as he moved, Obi-Wan wasn’t sure if it was her fear of something happening, or bracing against his own pain that caused it. 

As he manouevred his arm down, his hand brushed against something cold and hard, but slick. It was with horrific clarity he realised this was the source of his fierce pain. Swallowing down nausea, he took a moment to assess the damage as best he could. Now that he knew it was there, he could feel where the metal bar had pierced through his back, where it had punctured organs and thoroughly impaled him. His breath came in ragged pants as he desperately tried to release his pain into the Force. 

He knew he was scaring Nila, he could feel her terror clashing against his own. He should reassure her, tell her all would be well - they would be out of here soon. But the words just wouldn’t come. It took all his focus just to keep himself from falling apart. He could taste blood on his tongue, and realised he’d bitten his cheek to keep himself from crying out. 

Bracing himself once more, he gingerly reached for his lightsaber again. This time, he managed to avoid the metal bar pinning him to the ground, and closed his trembling fingers around the hilt. Even the small shuffling of repositioning his arm sent a cold sweat down his spine as he felt his innards brush against the intrusion. This was worse than any saber wound he’d been dealt before. He swallowed thickly before jerking his arm forward, freeing it from beneath his body and blinding him with pain. 

Once he could breathe without screaming or throwing up, he set his focus on the hilt in his bloodstained hand. Without the aid of his sight, it was an awkward job fumbling with the buttons until he was sure he wouldn’t harm himself or his young charge with it. 

“I need you to curl up very small for a second and close your eyes tight, Nila. Can you do that for me?” he asked gently. 

Instead of answering, Nila followed his request, tucking herself tight under his chin. Force bless the child, she did a stellar job of avoiding his wounded side, though he was almost certain she couldn’t see it. Once he was sure she wouldn’t be in the way, he thumbed the switch and the blade crackled to life, bathing their tiny bubble of darkness in blue light. 

As his eyes adjusted to the sudden blaze, Obi-Wan did his best to take in their surroundings. They must be quite deep beneath the rubble, he mused, because even with his blade alight, he couldn’t see far into the gloom.

He felt Nila wriggle her way out from beneath him, following the light of his saber like a moth to the flame. She seemed to study it for a moment before turning to look at him. “Is it magic?” she asked. 

Obi-Wan’s heart ached for her innocence. “Of a sort, I suppose,” he murmured between laboured breaths. “Nila, what can you see above us?”

The little girl looked up, her big round eyes glowing in the blue light. Obi-Wan watched as her eyes tracked down, and he realised she was following the line of the bar impaling him. She swallowed before replying. There’s a big bit above us. But that bar is holding it up.”

Of course it was. 

In spite of the dread now pooling inside him, Obi-Wan smiled. “Good, we should be safe here then. Don’t worry, Nila. My men will be able to dig us out of here soon.” 

She looked uncertain, but nodded all the same. Then after a moment of silence, her gaze drifted back to the crackling light of the saber as she eyed it curiously. “You’re a Jedi, aren’t you?”

Obi-Wan huffed a laugh. “Yes, I am. My friends and I were sent to help your people. That’s our job.” 

“My brother told me lots of stories about Jedi,” Nila said quietly, picking at the dirt scraped up her knee. “Are they true?”

Again, Obi-Wan couldn’t help but give a tight chuckle. “I tell you what, if you tell me your brother’s stories, I’ll tell you if they’re true.”

Nila’s eyes lit up. She nodded, scrambling forward until she was practically nose to nose with Obi-Wan. Then, with the eager innocence only a child could convey, she began her stories. Some were utterly impossible, even for a true Jedi master. But some, the ones that tugged at Obi-Wan’s heart, sounded suspiciously familiar. It would appear he and his former padawan had become the stuff of legend in the course of the war. 

Listening to Nila’s stories, Obi-Wan did his best to battle the exhaustion and darkness that threatened to engulf him. He hummed in all the right places, gently correcting her misconceptions when his brain co-operated and basically tried his best to stay awake. 

He was drifting again, in that place between congnizance and pain, when a presence brushed against his mental shields and something above them finally seemed to shift. Unfortunately, it was at that moment that the cold peace of unconsciousness finally dragged him into oblivion.


	2. Aftershocks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the aftershocks ripple out, Anakin watches on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really is just a short one. Sorry. This is day 9’s prompt “buried alive” but I wanted to try something new. Think of it as a placeholder until I can write something longer.

Anakin watched as the building crumbled, heard the screams of people trying to escape its collapse. He stood rooted in place as the last of the fallen masonry tumbled to rest. What was once a grand building in the little town was now a ruin. Though, that wasn’t what kept Anakin frozen in horror.

Obi-Wan had been under that building. 

Unable to tear his eyes away, Anakin had watched as the Jedi master had run not away, but towards the tumbling building, throwing himself over a small prone form. Then he was smothered by the fallen wreckage. Anakin had cried out, trying to race after him as the shockwaves rippled through the town, but strong arms around his waist held him back. 

Those arms had held onto him, even as he sunk to the ground screaming Obi-Wan’s name. Finally, he blinked and took a shuddering breath. Glancing down, he recognised the colours of his second-in-command. “Rex,” he croaked. 

“General.”

“Sorry. You can let go of me now. I need to- we need to help Obi-Wan.” Anakin knew he was rambling. But he couldn’t stop as the words kept pouring forth, a torrent of stammered drivel pretending to be commands. 

For his part, Rex slowly uncurled his arms around his waist, sitting back on his knees and watching him closely. Eventually it seemed he’d had enough, he placed a hand on Anakin’s shoulder. “We’ve got this, General. You should go see to the civvies.” 

Anakin shook his head resolutely. “No, I can’t. I need to be here - I need to find him, Rex. He’s buried under there and I -”

His panicked breaths caught in his throat as dread shot through his veins. He couldn’t think about Obi-Wan, trapped beneath the ruins. Couldn’t think about how he was buried alive and in pain somewhere down there, trusting his padawan to rescue him. 

“We need to find him, Rex. There’s a child with him and he’s injured. I can feel it.”

Rex knew enough about Jedi not to question his General on that, but he couldn’t help the twist of his features as he nodded. Anakin didn’t care, the tremor of pain pain pain that sang through their bond like a plucked string told him what he knew to be true. Obi-Wan was in danger. 

And Anakin wouldn’t rest until he was safe.

**Author's Note:**

> Oof! Poor Obi-Wan. But never fear, I am averse to actually killing characters, so he will make it out of here. (Because then I can make him suffer all the more through recovery.)


End file.
